Remaking El Rancho - by Dulce Alonso

Summary

A personal reflection on the narrator's connection to family traditions and cultural heritage, this story begins with a childhood punishment—being made to help make tortillas—and evolves into a meaningful experience. As the narrator recalls memories of their grandfather grinding corn and making masa in Mexico, they realize the significance of these traditions. The act of making tortillas with their stepmother becomes a powerful reminder of the cultural legacy they carry. The moment ends with a joyful realization: it's not just about food, but about preserving family and cultural memory.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker's first experience with making tortillas was a punishment from their father, though it later became meaningful.
• 😀 The speaker learned to make tortillas by watching their mother and grandmother when they lived in Mexico.
• 😀 A significant childhood memory involves spending summers in their mother's hometown, where they enjoyed running around with family and eating traditional foods like posole and birria.
• 😀 The speaker's grandparents lived near a corn field, where their grandmother and other women would gather corn early in the morning.
• 😀 The speaker recalls visiting the corn factory with their grandfather, where he ground corn into masa and shared stories about corn's significance in their family and culture.
• 😀 The speaker reflects on how important corn was to their grandfather and how it tied into their ancestral history.
• 😀 After moving to the US at age seven, the speaker observed that corn in the US was often processed into syrup or sold in pre-made tortillas, unlike the fresh tortillas they made in Mexico.
• 😀 The speaker's stepmother helped them make tortillas, and as they worked with the masa, they realized the deeper cultural significance of their grandfather's teachings.
• 😀 The experience of making tortillas with their stepmother made the speaker understand the importance of preserving traditions, particularly the connection to their ancestors and culture.
• 😀 The speaker reflects on the importance of tortillas, noting that a good tortilla puffs up, symbolizing the success of the process and the preservation of tradition.

Q & A

Why was the narrator initially asked to help their mom make tortillas?

The narrator was asked to help their mom make tortillas as a punishment, although they do not remember the exact reason for it.

What early memories does the narrator have of making tortillas?

The narrator remembers learning to make tortillas by watching their mom and grandma in Mexico when they were younger, especially when they lived there.

How does the narrator feel about making tortillas after they start helping their stepmom?

Initially, the narrator saw making tortillas as a punishment, but after working with their stepmom, they realize the deeper connection to their heritage and tradition, and they no longer see it as a punishment.

What was the narrator's experience like when they visited their mom's hometown in Mexico?

The narrator fondly remembers visiting their mom’s hometown, running around with family, and enjoying homemade food like posole and birria, along with fresh tortillas.

What role did the narrator’s grandpa play in the tortilla-making process?

The narrator’s grandpa worked at a corn factory where he would grind corn and make masa for tortillas. He also shared stories about the significance of corn in their culture and heritage.

What did the narrator learn from their grandpa about the importance of corn?

The narrator learned from their grandpa that corn is crucial to their traditions and culture, and that if corn were to disappear, it would be devastating not only for the tortillas but for their entire way of life.

Why did the narrator’s grandpa often wake them up early when they visited?

The grandpa would wake the narrator up early to go with him to the corn factory to gather corn, put it in the grinder, and make masa, all while sharing stories about their ancestors.

What was the narrator’s impression of corn in the U.S.?

The narrator notices that in the U.S., corn is not the same as it was in Mexico. They are used to seeing corn syrup in processed foods and pre-packaged tortillas in supermarkets, which is very different from the corn they grew up with.

What does the narrator realize when making tortillas with their stepmom?

When the narrator makes tortillas with their stepmom, they realize the significance of the process and how their grandpa’s message about corn and traditions resonates with them. They understand that making tortillas is about preserving cultural heritage.

What happens when the narrator successfully makes a tortilla?

When the narrator makes their first tortillas, they puff up perfectly, which is a sign that the masa was made correctly. This moment makes the narrator feel proud and marks a shift from seeing it as a punishment to a meaningful cultural practice.